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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

WORK AND PLAY 

WITH 

LANGUAGE 

CAEOLYN M. ROBBINS 

U 

TRAINING TEACHER,, STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, 
MANKATOj MINNESOTA 

AND 

ROBERT KEABLE ROW 

FORMERLY VICE-PRINCIPAL, NORMAL SCHOOL, TORONTO, ONTARIO ; 

FELLOW IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ; INSTRUCTOR 

IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PEDAGOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ; 

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, BERWYN, ILLINOIS 




ROW, PETERSON AND COMPANY 

CHICAGO NEW YORK 



TEH 
IV? 



Copyright, 1917 
ROW, PETERSON 
AND COMPANY 




APR 16 1917 



©CI.A457990 



The Puepose and Plan of the Book 

The necessity for a text-book in Language in the hands 
of the pupils in the third grade involves two general con- 
ditions : First, many teachers feel the need of a carefully 
planned course of special lessons in this subject. They 
have neither the time nor the energy required to work out 
such a course in a satisfactory way. Second, good lan- 
guage work can not be done unless children have in their 
hands a large amount of material upon which to work. 

The ideal text-book for use in this grade, therefore, 
involves three important factors: First, there should be 
ample provision for supplying the children with good lan- 
guage impressions. Second, there should be numerous 
exercises for stimulating and encouraging the freest 
possible practice in expression. Third, when the children 
show by their oral and written language work that they 
are attaining a satisfactory vocabulary and a fair degree 
of facility in expression, considerable attention should be 
given to correcting their language, both oral and written. 

The only effective means of providing language impres- 
sion in a book is through good literature, stories and poems 
that the children enjoy, reading them over and over, even 
memorizing especially good parts. If the stories are of 
a kind that the children will naturally want to tell at 
home, or to their associates elsewhere out of school, this 
material will combine both language impressions and 
practice in expression. 

Matter-of-fact teachers are much inclined to under- 
estimate the power and the value of the young child's 
imagination in relation to his language work. Most 
children at from three to five years of age can compose 

3 



4 THE PURPOSE AND PLAN OF THE BOOK 

quite wonderful stories of what they have seen in a trip to 
the forest, or down into the sea, or up to the moon, or any 
such places where they go in their flights of imagination. 
In many schools the work in no way recognizes this wonder- 
ful power of the young child, and instead of its being 
utilized and encouraged, to the great joy of the child and 
to his marvelous development in the power to image things 
and to tell about them, it is flatly assumed that he can't 
do anything of the kind. It is believed that most teachers 
will be amazed to find what the majority of children can 
do in this way if only a sympathetic atmosphere is created. 

In a very large measure the pictures in this book are 
designed to utilize this same power of the children. They 
are not generally intended to suggest mere facts to be 
reproduced, but rather to encourage the children in the 
utmost freedom in inventing stories. 

Many Language books over-emphasize drill upon punc- 
tuation, the use of capital letters, abbreviations, and so 
on. Young children are not interested in these things until 
they find themselves writing with a fair degree of skill, 
and even then there are few matters of form that they 
need to know. If attention is concentrated upon these 
matters of form, freedom and spontaneity in expression 
will be inhibited. A good story, told with freedom, but 
poorly punctuated, is worth very much more as a language 
exercise than a stilted, cramped bit of composition abso- 
lutely perfect in form. 

As has already been implied, children gain in language 
power most rapidly when they hear language or use it in 
the spirit of play. This is one of the ideas in this book. 
There is an abundance of real work to do. The children 
are required to think things out for themselves, but the 
idea of playing with language has been constantly kept 
in mind. The Authors. 



CONTENTS 

STUDY PAGE 

1. An Original Story All Overboard 9 

/ 2. Literature and Composition . The Swallow 10 

3. How to Write Special Names 10 

4. Playing with Words 11 

5. Memory Selection 12 

6. A Story to Tell 12 

7. The Right Use of Words Is and Are 14 

8. A Language Game Is and Are 15 

9. A Riddle 15 

10. A Story from Pictures 16 

11. A Humorous Story A Rival of the Steam Organ 17 

v 12. Letter-Writing 18 

13. Letter-Writing 19 

14. A Memory Selection Boats Sail on the Rivers 20 

15. Dictation 21 

16. Literature and Composition The Boy and the Squirrel 21 

17. How to Address a Letter 23 

18. The Right Use of Words Was and Were 24 

y(9. Oral and Written Composition Story of a Flood 25 

20. A Humorous Story She Talked Too Much 26 

21. Literature and Composition Armies in the Fire 27 

22. Letter- Writing A Plan for the Year 28 

23. An Original Story A Friend in Need 29 

24. Dictation Writing Conversation 31 

25. An Original Story 32 

26. Memory Selection White Butterflies 33 

27. Pronunciation 34 

28. Literature and Composition The Land of Story-Books 34 

29. Dramatizing a Story 37 

30. A Humorous Story , A Simple Remedy 37 

31. Letter- Writing 38 

5 



6 CONTENTS 

study page 

32. Literature and Composition 

Why the Ears of Wheat Are Small 39 

33. A Conversation Lesson Wheat 40 

34. Story-Telling A Young Member of the Humane Society 41 

35. Literature and Composition Dreams 42 

36. Dictation . . Spelling and Pronunciation 44 

37. Combining Sentences 45 

38. Oral and Written Composition A Trip to the Park 46 

39. Letter- Writing 47 

40. Art and Composition Dogs 48 

41. Words Often Mispronounced 49 

42. The Right Use of Words Saw, Has Seen, Have Seen 49 

43. Story-Telling . . 50 

44. Dictation Two Uses of the Comma 51 

45. An Original Story 52 

46. Literature and Composition My Shadow 53 

47. A Story to Tell The Best Kind of Gift 55 

48. Words Often Mispronounced 60 

49. The Right Use of Words 60 

50. Letter- Writing 61 

51. A Story from a Picture. . . . An Unfriendly World 62 

52. Literature and Composition The Spider and the Fly 63 

53. Literature and Composition . How to Take a Joke 65 

54. The Right Use of Words May and Can 66 

55. A Humorous Story 67 

56. Memory Selection ., 67 

57. An Original Story The Young Lifesavers 63 

58. Memory Selection 69 

59. Words Often Mispronounced 69 

60. Oral and Written Composition 4 Farmyard 70 

61. Letter- Writing 71 

62. The Right Use of Words . . . .He and I, She and /, You and I 71 

63. Literature and Composition A Flying Kite 72 

64. An Original Story Selfishness 73 

65. Literature and Composition . . The Young Robin's First Bath 74 

66. Memory Selection The Wind 75 

67. Oral and Written Composition. . .The Cottontails at Home 77 

68. Wonderful Fruit 78 

69. Words Often Mispronounced 78 



CONTENTS 7 

study page 

70. The Eight Use of Words 78 

71. Literature and Composition May 79 

72. A Story to Tell 

Johnny Chuck Finds the Best Thing in the World 81 

73. Letter-Writing 86 

74. Literature and Composition The Dog in the Manger 86 

75. An Original Story The Talkative Tortoise 87 

76. Literature and Composition Birds in Summer 88 

77. Humorous Story .Studying a Picture S9 

78. The Right Use of Words 90 

79. An Original Story 91 

80. Literature and Composition. .. .A Story of the Dandelions 92 

81. Literature and Composition The Song of the Busy Bee 95 




Suggestions for parts 1 and 2 of the story. See page 9. 




Suggestions for parts 3 and 4 of the story. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 

STUDY 1 

An Original Story 

ALL OVERBOARD 

On the opposite page are pictures that will tell 
you a good story. Do not be afraid to imagine all 
sorts of things about these children and their trip. 

1. Choose names for the children; tell where 
they live; how they are related, if at all; how they 
planned the trip. 

2. Give the conversation they had while making 
the plans. Then tell about the kind of boat and the 
start. 

3. What were the children trying to get? How 
long had they paddled about before the accident? 
Who caused it? How? Were the children all thrown 
out? 

4. The picture does not give you any hint of 
the result ; you must think that out. Who was most 
frightened? How deep was the water? How far 
was it to shore? Could the older children wade 
out? How was the little girl saved? 



10 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 2 

Literature and Composition 

THE SWALLOW 

Fly away, fly away over the sea, 

Sun-loving swallow, for summer is done ; 

Come again, come again, come back to me, 
Bringing the summer and bringing the sun. 
— Chkistina Gr. Rossetti. 

1. When do the swallows "fly away" from where you 
live ? Why ? When do they return J 

2. Why does Miss Rossetti call the swallow ' 'sun- 
loving "?. 

3. Prepare to tell what you have observed about the 
coming and going of other birds where you live. 

4. With what kind of letter does each line of poetry 
begin ? 

Memorize this stanza. 
. Try to write a four line stanza about any bird you like. 

STUDY 3 

How to Write Special Names 

1. My name is James Ross Wilson. I live in 
Toledo, Ohio. I attend the Lowell School. My 
father's name is Arthur Ross Wilson. He was born 
in Richmond, Virginia. My mother's maiden name 
was Ellen Moore. She came from Belfast, Ireland, 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE H 

and was married to Father in Charleston, West 
Virginia. 

Notice how capital letters are used in the above sentences. 
Why is the capital F used to begin father in one case ? 

A capital letter is used to begin a sentence, or a special 
name of a person, place, or thing*. 

So far as you can, write the same things about yourself 
and. your family. 



STUDY 4 

Playing with Words 

A pin has a head, but has no hair; 
A clock has a face, but no mouth there ; 
Needles have eyes, but they cannot see ; 
A fly has a trunk without lock or key; 
A timepiece may lose, but cannot win; 
A cornfield dimples without a chin; 
A hill has no leg, but has a foot ; 
A wineglass a stem, but not a root; 
A watch has hands, but no thumb or finger; 
A shoe has a tongue, but is no singer ; 
Rivers run, though they have no feet; 
A saw has teeth, but it does not eat. 

— Christina Gr. Rossetti. 

1. These verses are only nonsense rhymes. The author 
was simply playing with ideas and words when she wrote 
them, "just for fun." 



12 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

2. Time yourself while you memorize these rhymes. 
Then try to repeat them every day for three or four days. 

Try to write from two to six lines something like these. 

STUDY 5 

Memory Selection 

Of speckled eggs the birdie sings 

And nests among the trees ; 
The sailor sings of ropes and things 

In ships upon the seas. 

The children sing in far Japan, 

The children sing in Spain; 
The organ with the organ man 

Is singing in the rain. 

— Robert Louis Stevenson. 

STUDY 6 

A Story to Tell 

This picture shows how people enjoy a good 
story. A good story-teller can always have an 
audience. Not everyone can be a good story-teller, 
but there are some rules for story-telling that 
almost anyone can learn. 

1. Know your story well from beginning to end, so that 
you can tell it without hesitation. To start a story and be 
unable to finish it makes every one in the company feel 
foolish, especially the one who attempts the story. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



13 




A GOOD STORY 



J. G. BROWN 



2. Avoid many details ; that is, tell only those things that 
are needed to understand what is to follow. 

3. Tell of things in the order in which they happened, 
and do not run off on side paths. 

4. The best part of a well-told story comes very near the 
end. In a funny story the best part should be the last 
sentence. 

Find a good story and learn it to tell in class. 



A RIDDLE 

As I went through the garden gap, 
Whom should I meet but Dick Red Cap ! 
A stick in his hand, and a stone in his throat, 
If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat. 
Find the answer and memorize the riddle. 



14 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 7 

The Right Use of Words 

IS AND AEE 

1. The boy is at home ; the girls are at school. 

2. There is only one horse but there are five 
mules. 

3. Many tons of iron are taken out each year. 
From such sentences as the above try to tell how 

we know when to use is and when are. 

Copy the following sentences, filling each blank 
with is or are as the sentence requires. Then read 
the sentences aloud. 

4. There no milk in the house, but there 

two bottles of cream. 

5. Where my hat and coat? There 

your hat and gloves and here your coat. 

6. there any flowers out yet? Yes, there 

a few. 



7. the train in, and our friends here? 

8. The leaves of the tree turning yellow. 

9. What the wild waves saying? 

10. The colors of the foliage rich and 

beautiful. 

11. The color of the leaves a gray green. 

12. - there no water in the pail? 

13. there air-holes in the box? 

14. Where Mother and Father? 

15. The boy with the apples here. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 15 

STUDY 8 

A Language Game 

IS AND ARE 

For a second lesson on the use of is and are let 
pupils prepare to ask questions the answers to which 
will require the use of one of these words. Then 
choose sides. The first pupil on each side asks a 
question of the first on the other. Then number 
two on each side exchange questions and answers, 
and so on down the line. Pupils who use a wrong 
form in question or answer take their seats. 

STUDY 9 

A RIDDLE 

We are little airy creatures, 
All of different voice and features ; 
One of us in glass is set, 
One of us you'll find in jet. 
Another you may see in tin, 
And the fourth a box within. 
If the fifth you would pursue, 
It can never fly from you. 

— Jonathan Swift. 

Memorize the riddle when you have found the answer to 
it. Then repeat it to persons out of school to see whether 
they can find the answer. 



16 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
STUDY 10 





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A Story from Pictures 

Tell the best story you 
can from the following 
suggestions on the pic- 
tures : 

1. Give the name of the 
boy; tell where he lives; 
what he has been doing; 
and how he feels about his 
work. 

2. What kind of birds 
came to make their home 
in the house ; how the boy 
watched them daily; what 
he told his parents and 
friends. 

3. What the boy saw 
one morning as he came 
into the yard ; what he did ; 
how he felt about this 
danger to the birds. Give 
the conversation between 
the boy and his father that 
evening at dinner. 

4. Explain how the boy 
changed something about 
the house or the pole so 
that a cat could not get at 
the nest. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE J7 

STUDY 11 

A Humorous Story 

A RIVAL OF THE STEAM ORGAN 

A circus had just been in town and Bessie had 
been very much interested in the cal-li'o-pe, the 
steam organ. The following Sunday afternoon was 
warm and quiet. Bessie and her mother were 
sitting reading in the library near an open window. 
Grandfather was taking his afternoon nap in his 
room just above the library. 

Presently Bessie looked up and exclaimed, 
"Mother, what's that noise, the fire-whistle?" 

"No," said her mother, "I think that's Grand- 
father snoring." 

Bessie paused, listening, and then remarked, "0 
Mother, if I could snore like that I'd go in a 
parade." 

1. Why does the writer of this story tell about the 
circus? the calliope? the open ivindow? 

2. Write in full what is meant by what's, that's, I'd. 

Pupils should study the story carefully, memorize it if 
they wish, then tell it at least once to another class of 
children or at home. 

A EIDDLE 

Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye, 
And a long tail which she let fly ; 
And every time she went through a gap, 
A bit of her tail she left in a trap. 



18 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 12 

Letter-Writing 

1044 E. Sixth St., 
Columbus, Ohio, 
May 21, 1916. 
Dear Jack: 

Maybe you've been wondering why I didn't write. 
Well, the reason was I hadn't much to write about, 
but now I have something good to tell you. 

Last Tuesday was my birthday and Father gave 
me a fox terrier dog. He is really only a puppy, not 
quite a year old, but Father says he will not grow 
any more. He is nearly all white, but he has a black 
spot on top of his head that comes down on one 
side and gives him a black eye. 

We call him Sport because he is so playful and 
can do so many tricks. He sits up straight and 
begs and shakes hands. When I tell him, he will lie 
down and pretend he is dead. He does another 
trick that is the best of all. When he is begging, 
if I put a piece of bread or meat on his nose, he 
will keep perfectly still while I count, one, two, 
three. As soon as I say three, he gives his head 
a little toss and catches the bread as it comes down. 

I hope you can come over next Saturday to see 
Sport. We'll have lots of fun. 

Your loving cousin, 

Dick. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 19 

1. Why did Dick write this letter? How do you think 
Jack would enjoy it ? "Why ? 

2. Of what use is the first part of the letter? 

3. What is told in the second part? In the third 
part ? In the fourth part ? 

4. What do we call each of these parts? Why is this 
letter better for being divided into paragraphs? 

5. Notice the use of capital letters in the letter. How 
do we begin the name of a month, of a day of the week? 
Why is the word father here begun with a capital? 

6. Where does Dick live? When was the letter 
written? Notice carefully how the place and date are 
written, and write your own address and the date of 
to-day. 



# 



STUDY 13 

Letter-Writing 

Suppose your father has given you a Shetland 
pony ; write a letter to a cousin or some other friend 
telling what you think will be most interesting. 

If you wish you may use the following suggestions, 
but it is always better to make your own plan or 
outline. 

1. Age, size, color, and name of the pony, giving a reason 
for the name, if you can. 

2. Where you keep the pony and what you feed him. 

3. How you use him and who shares your pleasure. 

4. Write your friend to come to have a ride or drive. 



*For children at this stage the formal parts of a letter are not 
important. The main purpose all this year should be to get them 
to write free, chatty, visity letters. 



20 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 14 

A Memory Selection 

BOATS SAIL ON THE RIVERS 

Boats sail on the rivers, 
And ships sail on the seas; 

But clouds that sail across the sky 
Are prettier far than these» 

There are bridges on the rivers, 

As pretty as you please ; 
But the bow that bridges heaven' 

And overtops the trees, 
And builds a road from earth to sky, 

Is prettier far than these. 

— Christina G. Rossetti. 

1. What is the "bow that bridges heaven ?" 

2. Why do artists so often draw or paint pictures of 
sailboats on rivers or lakes or of sailing vessels at sea? 

3. What happens at your home when someone discovers 
a rainbow? 

4. Why do you think Miss Rossetti wrote these verses? 
Memorize the poem. 

a riddle 

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsey, apd Bess, 
All went together to seek a hen's nest; 
They found a fine nest with five eggs in it, 
They all took one and left four in it. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 21 

STUDY 15 

Dictation 

"Good-day, Uncle," said Ivan, "why do you drag 
that bundle of wood about V 9 

"This is magic wood," said the man. "If I put 
it on the ground a great army will spring up." 

"Come and ride with us," said Ivan. 

"Thank you," said the man. And he climbed 
into the ship. And away they flew. They flew and 
flew. And look! There was the Czar's castle. 

1. Copy the words in the above extract that you think 
you might misspell. 

2. Notice carefully the punctuation. If you do not 
know the reason for any marks ask your teacher about 
them. 

Prepare to write any part of the extract while your 
teacher dictates it. 

STUDY 16 

Literature and Composition 

THE BOY AKD THE SQUIRREL 

As I was going to school one morning a squirrel 
ran into its hole in the path before me. Now here 
was a chance for fun. As there was a stream just 
at hand, I determined to pour water into the hole 
till it should be full and so force the squirrel up in 
order that I might kill him. 

I got a bucket from beside a sugar maple and 



22 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

began to pour water into the hole. In a short time 
I heard the squirrel trying to get up, and said: 
" Ah, my fellow, I shall soon have you out now." 

Just then I heard a voice behind me : i i Well, my 
boy, what have you in there?" I turned and saw 
one of our neighbors, a good old man with long 
white locks, who had seen more than sixty winters. 

"Why," said I, "I have a ground squirrel in here, 
and am going to drown him out." 

"John," said he, "when I was a boy, more than 
fifty years ago, I was engaged one day, just as you 
are, drowning a ground squirrel; and an old man 
like me came along, and said to me: 'You are a 
little boy; now, if you were down in a narrow hole 
like that, and I should come along and pour water 
down on you to drown you, would you not think I 
was cruel? God made that little squirrel, and life 
is as sweet to him as it is to you. Then why will 
you torture to death a little innocent creature that 
God has made ? ' " 

He said : "I have never forgotten that, and never 
shall. I never have killed any harmless creature 
for fun since." 

1. What kind of squirrel must this have been? Why? 
Tell about the different kinds of squirrels you know. 

2. Why was the bucket beside the maple tree ? 

3. How old was the man? Can you think of any rea- 
son why we do not give a person's age by saying he has 
seen fifty springs or seventy autumns ? 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 23 

The idea recalls the story of the old colored man who 
said : ' k I alius notice* dat when I lives through de month 
ob March I lives all de res ob de year. ' ' 

4. Do you think this boy was naturally cruel? If not 
why did he wish to "drown out" and kill the squirrel? 
Under what conditions may we be justified in taking the 
life of another animal? 

Tell or write a story of someone who went to special 
trouble to save the life of a bird or other animal. Or tell 
ivhat you think of those who shoot birds or squirrels or 
rabbits "just for fun." 

STUDY 17 

How to Address a Letter 



Miss 


Mildred 


Miller, 






1234 Forest Av., 








Pasadena, 


Cal. 



Notice how this address is arranged on the 
envelope. It is in the lower part of the space, so 
as to leave room for the stamp and the postmark at 
the top. 



24 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Observe, also, the punctuation. The commas are 
now often omitted from the address, but the period 
should always be used after an abbreviation. 

Cut five pieces of paper, each 5 inches long by 3 
inches wide, to represent envelopes. Write an 
address on each, being careful about the position 
on the paper, the arrangement of the parts, and 
the punctuation. 

Always remember that several very busy people 
have to read the address on every letter as it goes 
along its way. Anything that makes the address 
easy to read at the first glance helps these people. 

STUDY 18 

The Right Use of Words 

WAS AND WEEE 

Turn back to Study 7 and read the first three sen- 
tences, using was in place of is and were in place of 
are. How do we know when to use was and when 
were? 

Copy the following sentences, filling each blank with was 
or were as the sentence requires. 

1. The crop of apples small, 

2. There only ten baskets of peaches. 

3. Not one of the books lost. 

4. Every one of the girls successful. 

5. The colors of the flag — — yellow and green. 

6. "Where the cups and saucers'? 

For ivas and were try to make a game like that in Study 8. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



25 



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STUDY 19 

Oral and Written Composition 

STORY OF A FLOOD 

The suggestions for a story here are so plain that 
it seems better not to ask many questions. Some 
unusual thing has happened : a heavy rain storm, a 
cloud-burst, a levee or a dam has broken. Where 
had this dog-house been? Why could not the 
mother escape? Why did not the puppies run away 
when the water began to rise about the house? 
What is the mother dog doing? 

One other thing is very important to the story; 
do you see anything in the picture to hint that 
human help may come to this family? 



26 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Let each pupil study the picture alone, make his 
own outline if he can, and write his own story. 

After the stories have been handed in, the picture 
may be made the subject of an interesting class 
conversation. 

STUDY 20 
A Humorous Story 

SHE TALKED TOO MUCH 

A shopkeeper had a young parrot that he took 
great delight in teaching to talk. One day when 
the parrot was walking about in front of the shop 
a strange dog came up to her and began to growl. 
Polly remembered some words she had often heard 
said to dogs, and she exclaimed quickly, "Sick 'em! 
Sick 'em!" 

With a sharp yelp, the dog sprang upon the bird 
and with paws and teeth had badly disarranged 
her plumage before she. could free herself and fly 
to her perch. 

As the parrot tried to smooth out her feathers, 
she was heard to say, "Polly, you talk too much." 

Learn the story to tell to another class or at home. 

A KIDDLE 

Twelve pears hanging high, 
Twelve knights riding by; 
Each Knight took a pear, 
And left eleven hanging there. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 27 

STUDY 21 

Literature and Composition 

ARMIES IN THE FIRE 

The lamps now glitter down the street; 
Faintly sound the falling feet; 
And the blue even slowly falls 
About the garden trees and walls. 

Now in the falling of the gloom 
The red fire paints the empty room; 
And warmly on the roof it looks, 
And flickers on the backs of books. 

Armies march by tower and spire 
Of cities blazing, in the fire; — 
Till as I gaze with staring eyes, 
The armies fade, the luster dies. 

Then once again the glow returns ; 
Again the phantom city burns; 
And clown the red-hot valley, lo! 
The phantom armies marching go! 

Blinking embers, tell me true, 
Where are those armies marching to, 
And what the burning city is 
That crumbles in your furnaces ? 

— Robert Louis Stevenson. 



28 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

1. What kind of fire is referred to in the poem? Have 
you ever seen pictures in a fire? 

2. Explain the meaning of glitter, even, gloom, flickers, 
luster, phantom, blinking, embers. 

3. Make a list of the words in the poem that really 
help you to form the picture. 

4. Can you think of a reason why the writer saw 
armies in the fire? 

5. Why do you think Stevenson wrote this poem? 

Think of a time when, as night came on, you sat before 
an open fire; then tell or write of what you remember to 
have fancied you saw in the flickering flames. Or tell 
about what yon have seen in sunset clouds or in clouds 
driven by the wind. 

STUDY 22 

Letter- Writing 

A PLAN FOR THE YEAR 

The only way to learn to write good letters is to 
study some good models and to practice writing 
letters. By far the best practice is in writing real 
letters to real friends. 

The authors of this book recommend that the 
members of this class form a Letter-writing Club 
to meet for a half hour on the first Monday and 
Tuesday of each month. At the Monday meeting, 
three or four members of the class will read to the 
others friendly letters that they think are good and 



WOBK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 29 

interesting. These letters may be posted in the 
room for reference. 

Then the Tuesday half -hour should be devoted to 
writing actual letters to be sent to friends. To 
make this definite in aim, each pupil may plan to 
write this monthly letter to the same person, to 
one of the grandparents, a brother, or sister away 
from home, a cousin, an aunt, or a friend. 

In case this plan is adopted this lesson period 
should be devoted to organizing the club, electing 
officers, or at least a committee to arrange for each 
Monday's program, and getting each member of the 
class to agree to follow the plan during the school 
year. 

When this plan is followed the other Studies on 
Letter-writing may be omitted. 

STUDY 23 

An Original Story 

A FKIEND IN NEED 

Some dogs are like some children; they are not 
happy unless they are teasing someone. They do 
not pause to think how unhappy their teasing may 
make others. 

1. Give these animals names and tell where each 
one lives. Try to make your names suitable, as, 
Solong, Rags, "White Sox, and Mealynose. 



30 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 



4| * • ,' 7 




1111 






p jnB jy 




,^nPfc > 


: ; , :/ , ; ; .: ■ ;*-.:4- . v ■ 





2. Tell how the two dogs happened to be 
together this day and where pussy was when they 
spied her. 

3. Tell what other kinds of refuge pussy would 
have preferred had such things been near, and 
how near the dogs were to her when she scrambled 
upon the donkey's back. 

4. Why does the donkey look so cross and pre- 
pare to kick? 

5. Which dog is more likely to make trouble for 
pussy now? Why? 



When you have thought out these and any other things 
that come to you as you study the picture, tell a story 
for which the picture would be a good illustration. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 31 

STUDY 24 

Dictation 

WEITING CONVERSATION 

"That is fine news," said the cock. "I am glad 
to hear it." Then he looked far off, and said, 
"Here comes a friend, we must tell him the good 
news." 

"Who is coming?" asked the fox. 

"It is our farmyard dog," said the cock. 

"Oh," said the fox,' "I must be going." 

"Do not go, Friend Fox. Stay and tell our 
friend the good news." 

"No," said the fox, "I fear he has not heard it, 
and he may kill me. ' ' 

1. One of the most difficult things in your composition 
is to be able to write conversation correctly. Copy the 
above carefully. If you do not see the reason for every 
capital letter and every punctuation mark, ask your 
teacher to explain. You cannot remember where to put 
them unless you know why they are used. 

Prepare to write the last seven lines from dictation. 

A RIDDLE 

As round as an apple, 

Shaped like a cup ; 
All the king's horses 

Cannot pull it up. 



32 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
STUDY 25 

An Original Story 




Suggestions for Paragraph 1, 




Suggestions for Paragraph 2. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 33 

If you will let your fancy play freely, these two 
pictures will tell you an interesting little story for 
you to tell or write. 

1. Who owns this hen? What does she call her? What 
kind of eggs did she set her on ? Why ? How long did the 
hen sit ? How many ducklings were hatched out ? Describe 
them. Did the hen know they were not chickens ? Was she 
fond of them? 

2. Where did the hen and her brood find their way 
one. day? What did the ducklings immediately do? How 
did the hen feel ? What did she say ? What did the 
ducklings reply ? Did the hen go into the water to drive 
them out? If so, what happened? Did the mother ever 
become used to having her babies go swimming? 



STUDY 26 

Memory Selection 

WHITE BUTTERFLIES 

Fly, white butterflies, out to sea, 
Frail, pale wings for the wind to try, 
Small, white wings that we scarce can see, 

Flv! 

Some fly light as a laugh of glee, 
Some fly soft as a long, low sigh; 
All to the haven where each would be, 

Fly! 
— Algernon Charles Swinburne. 



34 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Here is a pretty picture of lightest, daintiest of butter- 
flies flitting out over the water. These butterflies may 
often be seen darting about over little pools of water along 
a country road or in the fields. One who has ever seen 
them can easily imagine what the poet had in mind. 

Memorize the poem, 

STUDY 27 

Pronunciation 

The following words are often mispronounced. 
With the help of your teacher be sure to get the right 
pronunciation and say them aloud several times. 

For recitation one pupil may spell a word aloud 
and the next pronounce it. 

again apricot basket before 

against asparagus because behind 

STUDY 28 

Literature and Composition 

THE LAND OF STORY-BOOKS 

At evening when the lamp is lit, 
Around the fire my parents sit; 
They sit at home and talk and sing, 
And do not play at anything. 

Now, with my little gun, I crawl 
All in the dark along the wall, 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



35 




And follow round the forest track 
Away behind the sofa back. 

There, in the night, where none can spy, 
All in my hunter's camp I lie, 
And play at books that I have read 
Till it is time to go to bed. 

These are the hills, these are the woods, 
These are my starry solitudes ; 
And there the river by whose brink 
The roaring lions come to drink. 

I see the others far away 
As if in fire-lit camp they lay, 
And I, like to an Indian scout, 
Around their party prowled about. 



36 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

So, when my nurse comes in for me, 
Home I return across the sea, 
And go to bed with backward looks 
At my dear land of Story-books. 

■ — R. L. Stevenson. 

1. Why is the child not interested in what the parents 
do in the evening? 

2. Why does he choose this time for his pretend 
hunting ? 

3. How does he see the things he tells about? Where 
does he get the ideas? 

4. How is he like an Indian scout? 

5. Why does he go to bed with backward look? 

6. Explain starry solitudes, brink, fire-lit, prowled. 

Most young children have some way in which they let 
their fancy play as this child tells us he did. 

Think over, the way in which yon have most fun in 
imagining things, and prepare to tell the class about it. 



A RIDDLE 

As I was going to St. Ives, 
I met a man with seven wives ; 
Each wife had seven sacks, 
Each sack had seven cats, 
Every cat had seven kits ; 
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, 
How many were going to St. Ives ? 



WOKK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 37 

STUDY 29 

Dramatizing a Story 

Let the class choose one of the stories they have 
read recently and, with the help of the teacher, make 
their own dramatization of it. 

Some teachers develop excellent language work 
in dramatizing Old Pipes and the Dryad, from 
Stockton's Fanciful Tales, published by Scribners. 

Other good stories for dramatizing are : 
The Story of the Theee Bears. 
Hansel and Gretel. 
The Musician of Bremen. 

study 30 
A Humorous Story 

A SIMPLE REMEDY 

A little girl was pretending she was a nurse in a 
hospital. She rang an imaginary telephone on the 
wall to talk to her companion at the farther end of 
the room, who was playing the part of doctor. 
" Hello!" said the nurse. "Is that the doctor?" 
"Yes," answered her companion in a deep voice, 
"this is the doctor." 

"This lady is very sick," she said. 
"Well, what seems to be the matter?" 
"She has swallowed a bottle of ink." 



38 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

"What have you done for her?" asked the doctor. 
"I gave her two pads of blotting-paper." 

Children who are at all original and inventive will 
enjoy making changes in this story. For example, suppose 
the nurse had replied. "She has swallowed a button," or 
"She has swallowed a crabapple," finish the story. 

Prepare to tell the story at school or at home. 



STUDY 31 

Letter-Writing 

Write a letter to a cousin, to some other relative, 
or to some intimate friend, telling what you did 
Hallowe'en Night. Before you begin to write make 
an outline something like this : 

1. Who were in your party. 

2. How and when you planned your evening's fun. 

3. How you dressed. 

4. Where you went and what you did. 

A RIDDLE 

In marble walls as white as milk, 
Lined with a skin as soft as silk, 
Within a fountain crystal clear, 
A golden apple doth appear. 
No doors there are to this stronghold, 
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold. 



WOBK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 39 

STUDY 32 

Literature and Composition 

WHY THE EAES OF WHEAT AKE SMALL 

Long ago the King of the Fields and Forests 
walked about on this earth. All plant life, from 
the smallest weed by the roadside to the giant oak 
of the forest, rejoiced in his presence, for the great 
King loved and cared for them all. 

In those days the stalks of wheat were very tall 
and the grains of wheat grew up and down the 
stalks from top to bottom. On every stalk there 
were hundreds of plump, brown kernels. 

One day, when the golden wheat was ready for 
the sickle, a mother and her little son were walking 
through a wheat field and came to a pool of water 
beside the pathway. The child amused himself by 
breaking off great stalks of wheat and throwing 
them into the water. The mother stood near with- 
out saying a word to stop him. 

Just then the King of the Fields and Forests 
came by and saw the boy wasting the wheat. He 
saw also the careless mother. The King was angry 
and called out in a voice like thunder, "Is this the 
way you waste the precious grain that is given you 
for food? From this time on nothing shall grow 
upon the wheat stalks." 

Then the woman and all who heard him were 
terrified. They fell upon their knees before the 



40 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

King and begged for mercy. "0 King, spare ns," 
they cried. "If you do not give us back the wheat 
we shall perish from hunger." 

When the King saw their grief he pitied them and 
said, "I will answer your prayer. Bi^t to punish 
you for your wastefulness the wheat kernels shall 
henceforth grow only at the top of the stalk. ' ' 

— A Gekman Folk Tale. 

1. Explain rejoiced in his presence, ready for the sickle, 
amused himself, precious grain, perish from hunger. 

2. What other word or words could you use in place 
of giant? careless? terrified? mercy? grief? punish? 
henceforth? 

3. What lesson is this story intended to teach? 

Prepare to tell the story to one or more persons outside 
of school. 

STUDY 33 

A Conversation Lesson 

WHEAT 

Let the pupils learn all they can about wheat: how 
it is planted ; what it looks like when growing, when 
ripe; how and when harvested; how threshed; how 
made into flour; other products than flour; various 
uses. Make, this the basis of a conversation lesson 
in which every member of the class has a part. 

In assigning a lesson of this kind, it may be well to intimate that 
other pupils will be interested in what each one has to tell according 
to whether the information is common or unusual, and how well it is 
told. Corn, cotton, or some fruit may be taken instead of wheat. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 41 

STUDY 34 

Story-Telling 

A YOUNG MEMBER OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY 

A doctor driving his automobile without lights 
into town late one night ran into a horse and buggy. 
The passengers were unhurt, but the horse had a leg 
broken. The animal was left on the side of the street 
until next day. 

In a family living across the street was a four- 
year old boy, who saw the horse and became very 
much interested in its suffering. 

When his father came home for dinner, Robert 
met him at the door and, with much eagerness, told 
him about the horse. It was an intensely cold day 
and Robert insisted that his father should have the 
horse taken into the barn. He was told that that 
could not be done ; the horse was too heavy for them 
to move. 

Then, he asked that he should be allowed to 
carry the horse a plate of food. But his father 
told him the horse did not eat such food as that and 
that it had already been fed with hay. 

After a little pause, Robert said, "Well, Daddy, 
let's take out a rug to cover the horse and keep 
him warm." 

The father showed him that some one had already 
put a blanket on the horse. 

Then the little fellow, not knowing what else to 
do, came to his father and said : 



42 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

" Daddy, is there nothing we can do at all?" 

"No, I think not," said the father. 

"And must the horse lie there in the cold?" 

"Yes," replied the father. 

"And we can't do anything?" 

"No, I don't see that we can do anything." 

There was another slight pause, while the little 
fellow looked out at the horse. Turning again to his 
father he said, "Well, Daddy, I believe I'll cry!" 

How do you like this story? Why? How do you like 
Robert? Why? What kind of boy will he probably be 
when he is ten ? What kind of man will he likely be ? 

This is a good story, but not an easy one to tell. Study 
it carefully so that you tell it all the way through just as 
it is told here. 

STUDY 35 

Literature and Composition 

DREAMS 

At last I know where they are kept, 

My own, own dreams; 
At night I found them when I slept, 

But now it seems 
As if I only have to go 

A little way, 
And I can find them all, I know, 

By night or day. 



WOKK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 43 

I do not even shut my eyes. 

I sit and wait, 
And pretty soon, wide open flies 

A little gate; 
All tilings I want come through to me, 

And I can go 
A-sailing, sailing on the sea — 

Heave ho ! Heave ho ! 

With pirates and with Indian braves 

And robber bands 
I hunt, and ride, and live in caves, 

In foreign lands ; 
I hunt big buffaloes and lynx 

And bears and deer, 
While nurse sits mending — and she thinks 

I'm sitting here. 

—Robert Gilbert Welsh. 

1. This is another of those little poems that tell in a 
beautiful way of the power of young children to imagine all 
sorts of curious, interesting things. What other poet that 
you know uses this idea of children's minds so much in his 
poems ? Name some of his poems you have read. 

2. This power might be called the child's magic mirror 
in which he can see all kinds of wonderful pictures. 

3. How does this poet get his pictures? 

If you can sit quiet and have such a little gate open to 
you, prepare to tell the class about one or more of the inter- 
esting pictures you see. 



44 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 36 

Dictation 

SPELLING AND PEONUNCIATION 

Next came the Rabbit's angry voice, "Pat I Pat! 
Where are you?" 

And then came a voice she had never heard 
before, "Sure, then, I'm here, digging for apples, 
your honor!" 

"Digging for apples!" said the Rabbit. "Come 
and help me out of this! Now tell me, Pat, what's 
that in the window?" 

"Sure, it's an arm, your honor!" 

"An arm, you goose! Who ever saw one so big? 
Why, it fills the whole window! 



? ? 



1. Copy the above, noticing carefully the spelling of 
rabbity angry, voice, heard, digging, honor, ivhole. 

2. Notice also the punctuation marks, especially the 
quotations, commas, exclamation marks, and tlie question 
marks. 

3. Write in full what is meant by I'm, what's, it's. 

Prepare to write any five lines from dictation. 

A KIDDLE 

We travel much, yet pris'ners are, 

And close confined to boot, 
We with the swiftest horse keep pace, 

Yet always go on foot. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 45 

STUDY 37 

Combining Sentences 

Combine each of the following groups of sentences into 
one sentence. This should be first an oral exercise in class, 
then each pupil should do it in writing. Which do you 
like the better, the separate sentences or the combined ? 

1. The wind tosses the kites on high. The wind 
blows the birds about the sky. 

2. The boy lay down on some hay. He went to 
sleep. He did not wake till sunrise. 

3. Sam was climbing up into the cherry tree. He 
fell clown into a berry-bush. He scratched his face. 
He tore his clothes. 

4. The rabbit lay down in the tall grass. The 
rabbit was soon asleep. The tortoise kept on 
running. 

5. The old people sit at home. The old people 
talk. They sing. They do not play at anything. 

6. We crossed the creek by means of a boat. We 
ascended the high grounds on the shore. We made 
our way to the top of the hill. 

A RIDDLE 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, 
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall ; 

All the king's horses, 

And all the king's men 
Cannot put Humpty together again. 



46 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 




STUDY 38 



Oral and Written Composition 



A TKIP TO THE PAKK 



1. What is the favorite place for city children to 
have their little outings? Why? When country 
children visit their city cousins where do they most 
enjoy going? Why? 

2. At what time of the year are children most 
eager to visit the park? What season is repre- 
sented by this picture? What month would it be 
where you live? Prepare to give reasons for your 
answers. 



. WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 47 

3. What is the center of interest in the picture? 
How many different kinds of birds do you seel 
What is the large white bird close to the little girl? 
Why has it gone so close to her? Why doesn't she 
feed it? What do you think two of the other 
children are doing? 

Write a story about the most interesting time you 
have had at a park, or at a fair, or at a circus. 

Write your story as rapidly as you can, then 
rewrite it carefully correcting mistakes in spelling, 
use of capital letters, and punctuation. 

STUDY 39 

Letter-Writing 1 

Is there a member of your class ill or a member 
that has moved away? What do you think he or 
she would like to know about school or your play? 
Your teacher will put the suggestions from different 
pupils on the board. Then each one may write a 
letter from these suggestions. 

Or, better still, let each one make his or her own 
outline and then write the letter, not knowing what 
anyone else is writing. 

Try to write a good, newsy letter, the kind you like to get. 

If you are not sure how to arrange the place and date of 
your letter and how to address the envelope, see pages 
18 and 23. 



48 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 



'.■■; 




BLINN 



STUDY 40 

Art and Composition 

DOGS 

Oral Work. 1. Class conversation about the 
picture: From what country is the picture prob- 
ably taken? Prepare to give reasons for your 
answer. What kind of dogs are shown ? What kind 
of hat is the man wearing? What is his occupa- 
tion? Why did the artist not show the sheep? 
What is the center of interest in the picture ? 

2. Each pupil should come to the class prepared 
to tell a story of some unusual thing he knows a 
dog to have done. 

Written Work. Each pupil write a short story 
about a dog, or a short composition telling in what 
different ways dogs are useful. 



WOKK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 49 

STUDY 41 

Words Often Mispronounced 

For suggestions, see Study 27. 

children Christmas elastic February 

chimney elm evening figure 

STUDY 42 

The Right Use of Words 

SAW, HAS SEEN, HAVE SEEN 

Very many persons use seen when they should use 
saw. Sometimes a person says / have saw, but that 
is so bad that no one is likely to hear it often. There 
is no better, simple test of a person's habits in 
language than his use of saw and seen. 

1 saw. We saw. I have seen. We have seen. 
He saw. You saw. He has seen. You have seen. 
She saw, They saw. She has seen. They have seen. 

Study the above and repeat them many times aloud; it 
will help you to get the right form when you are not think- 
ing about it. 

Suggestions for a Game 

Pupils choose sides. Number 1 on one side makes 
a sentence using saw; as, / saw an eagle. Number 1 
on the other side says, / have seen an eagle. Number 

2 on the first side says, He saw an eagle. Then Num- 
ber 2 on the second side says, He has seen an eagle. 



50 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Number 3, We saw an eagle, and 3 on the other side 
responds, They have seen an eagle or You have seen 
, an eagle. 

This may be varied in many ways. When a pupil 
uses a wrong form he takes his seat. 

STUDY 43 

Story-Telling 

Little Tommy had formed a habit of asking all 
sorts of questions. One evening he had quite tired 
his mother out. 

"You had better keep still or something will hap- 
pen to you, ' ' she said. ' ' Curiosity once killed a cat. ' \ 

After this Tommy was quiet for several minutes. 
Then he said, "Mother, what was it the cat wanted 
to know?" 

Jfc, M. M+ 

WWW 

Willie Wilson was learning the names of the let- 
ters at home and had picked up the meaning of 
initials. 

"What are your initials?" he asked his cousin, 
Edith Mason. 

"E-M," she replied. 

"And what are mine?" he wanted to know. 

"W-W," said Edith. 

"Oh, double me, double me," laughed Willie. 

Tell one of these stories at home and learn one at home 
to tell at school. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 51 

STUDY 44 

Dictation 

TWO USES OF THE COMMA 

1. Peter, Paul, and Boots wanted to try their 
luck. 

2. Good morning, Mr. Hoptoad. How do you do? 

3. Along the pathway grew buttercups, daisies, 
and marigolds. 

4. We should like to know, Minnie, where you 
get these flowers. 

5. Look, Mother, Father brought me a knife, a 
book, and two neckties. 

1. Study these sentences for punctuation. Notice how 
the commas are used in the first sentence. Where else 
are commas used in the same way? Now observe the use 
of the commas in sentence 4. Where else are commas used 
in a similar wav? 

2. Study the spelling of all words of which you are 
not sure, such as, their, Hoptoad, daisies, marigolds, know, 
knife, two, neckties. 

3. Why are capital letters used to begin Mother and 
Father'? "Prepare to write the sentences from dictation. 

A KIDDLE 

Two legs sits on three legs and holds one leg in his lap. 
In comes four legs and runs away with one leg. Up jumps 
two legs, picks up three legs, throws it at four legs, and 
makes him drop one leg. 



52 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
STUDY 45 

An Original Story 




Suggestions for Paragraph 1. 



7"v 






tl/VlA 




Suggestions for Paragraph 2. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 53 

These pictures give hints for a very interesting 
story. Think out your plan, then write quite rapidly 
as the ideas com§ to you. Afterwards copy your 
story to make spelling, punctuation, use of capital 
letters and so on as nearly correct as you can. 

1. Who are the children? Where do they live? How 
are they related? How did they come to have the mother 
dog and the puppy? What breed are the dogs? How do 
the children feel toward them? 

2. Where did the larger boy come from? What is he 
doing? Why? How do the children feel? Did the boy 
let the mother dog go purposely or did she break away? 
What is the boy saying? 

3. Tell about the result : whether the thief was caught, 
and if so, how; whether the children got their puppy 
back. 



STUDY 46 

Literature and Composition 

MY SHADOW 

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, 
And what can be the use of him is more than I can 

see. 
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the 

head ; 
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into 

my bed. 



54 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 




The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to 
grow — 

Not at all like proper children, which is always very 
slow; 

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India- 
rubber ball, 

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none 
of him at all. 



He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, 
And he can only make a fool of me in every sort of 

way. 
He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can 

see; 
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow 

sticks to me ! 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 55 

One morning, very early, before the sun was up, 
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup ; 
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, 
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep 
in bed. 

— Robert Louis Stevenson. 

1. Explain why your shadow suddenly grows tall or 
short. 

2. Why did this little boy think the shadow remained 
in bed when he went out very early in the morning ? How 
could he have gotten away from his shadow at any time ? 

3. When the sun is shining can you tell north, south, 
east, and west by your shadow? How? 

4. How can you tell about the time of day by your 
shadow made by the sun? 

Memorize the two stanzas you like best. 

STUDY 47 

A Story to Tell 

THE BEST KIND OF GIFT 

Once in a land far from here there lived a 
beautiful queen, as good as she was beautiful, and 
all her people loved her. One of her people was a 
poor little boy named Frank. 

One morning Frank heard some men talking in 
the market place. "To-morrow is the Queen's 
birthday," said one. "I shall give her a pot of 



56 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

honey, for honey is the sweetest thing in the world. ' ' 

"I shall give her a cup made of pure gold," 
remarked another, "for gold is the most precious 
thing in the world." 

"I shall give her a bird in a golden cage. It will 
sing to her, and everybody knows that music is the 
most joyous thing in the world," added the third 
man. 

Poor little Frank turned sadly away. "I love the 
Queen more than anyone else does," he sighed, 
"but I am too poor to carry her a gift on her 
birthday. ' ' 

As he walked along his face brightened. "I 
know what I can do," he thought. "The good 
Queen loves the white flowers that grow in the 
meadow. I will gather a bunch and give them to 
her for her birthday." 

Off rushed little Frank. He searched the meadow 
over and over, but not a single white flower was in 
bloom. He found only one little green bud. 

Frank looked at the bud and sighed. "If only 
that one bud were open, I could carry it to her," he 
whispered. "She would love even one sweet 
flower." 

"Who would love one sweet flower?" asked a 
voice. 

Frank turned round. There stood a little fairy, 
all dressed in white, with shining golden wings,. and 
a tiny golden crown on her head. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 57 

"Our beautiful Queen would love the flower," 
answered Frank. "To-morrow is her birthday and 
I am too poor to buy a gift for her, so I came for 
some flowers; but you see there aren't any open — 
not even one." 

"I, too, am a queen," answered the fairy, — "the 
queen of all the fairies in the world. We will open 
this little bud for you. 9 ' 

So saying, the fairy queen waved her mystic wand 
and cried, "Wind fairies, come here!" 

In rushed the wind fairies, flying here and there, 
never still for an instant. 

"Wind fairies," said the queen, "this little bud 
must be opened for the Queen's birthday. Blow 
upon it." 

The wind fairies circled around the little bud. 
At first they blew softly, then harder and louder, 
till they blew a gale. But the little bud seemed only 
to close up tighter. 

"We cannot open it," they said, and away they 
flew. 

"Rain fairies, come .here," cried the queen. 

In pattered the rain fairies, dressed all in soft 
gray. 

"Bain fairies," said the queen, "this little bud 
must be opened for the Queen's birthday. Rain 
upon it." 

The rain fairies bent over the little bud, sending 
first a gentle shower, then pouring down a heavy 



58 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

rain, till the little bud was beaten to the ground ; but 
she only closed her petals tighter. 

"We cannot open it," cried the rain fairies, and 
away they ran up the rainbow. 

"Sunshine fairies, come here," cried the queen. 

In glided the dearest, brightest little fairies in 
the world, all dressed in shining gold. 

"Sunshine fairies," said their queen, "this little 
bud must be opened for the Queen's birthday. Smile 
upon her." 

The sunshine fairies clustered around the little 
bud. They touched her with their warm beams and 
smiled upon her — oh, so sweetly. The little flower 
felt the warmth; she could keep closed no longer. 
She opened one tiny petal and peeped out. When 
she saw the sweet, kind faces of the sunshine 
fairies she laughed aloud for very joy. "Ha! ha! 
ha ! ' ' rang her silvery laughter, ' ' Ha ! ha ! ha ! " At 
every "ha" a petal flew open, until at last she stood 
before them — a perfect white flower with a heart as 
golden as the yellow sunshine. 

"There, Frank, is your sweet white flower," said 
the fairy queen. 

Frank could hardly speak for joy; but he man- 
aged to thank the queen and her sunshine fairies 
for their goodness to him. Then he stooped and 
gently plucked the beautiful white flower. 

Next day Frank stood timidly at one side and 
watched all the people give their presents to the 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 59 

Queen. At last he drew near and handed her his 
one perfect blossom, saying, "My gift, dear Queen, 
is very small, but my love is very great." 

Tears came into the eyes of the beautiful Queen. 
She took the fair flower and stooping down to 
Frank she whispered: "Thank you, dear little 
Frank. I like your gift the best of all. For I know 
and you know that love is the best thing in the 
world. ' ' 

1. The language value of such a story as this comes 
by reading it through over and over. If possible, study it 
at home where you can read it aloud, and practice the 
different tones that you think would be used by the men, 
by Frank, by the fairy queen, and by the good Queen 
herself. 

2. Describe the Queen as you imagine her to have been. 
Tell about all that was unusual in her appearance, in her 
manners and in her way of treating her people that led 
them to love her. 

3. Tell what you can imagine about each of the three 
men and his reasons for his choice of his gift. 

4. Fancy you can see each of the three groups of 
fairies; how could you tell one group from another? May 
the rain fairies have helped to open the flower? 

This is a fine story to dramatize. If carefully prepared, 
it is good enough for public presentation. 

After the story has teen learned let four or five tell it in 
class, each taking a part, then each should tell it at home 
or to other children elsewhere. 



60 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 48 

Words Often Mispronounced 

With the help of your teacher get the right pro- 
nunciation of the following words. Let the class 
stand and each pronounce one word in order until 
all have been pronounced five times. Many persons 
do not sound the h. 

what when which whistle 

wheel where whip why 

STUDY 49 

The Right Use of Words 

Copy and repeat aloud out of school : 

It is I. It is she. It is they. It isn't he. 

It is he. It is we. It isn 't I. It isn 't she. 

It isn't they. 

Suggestions for a Game 

Florence is blindfolded and a number of others 
form a circle about her, taking numbers one, two, 
three, etc. 

Florence: Who are here? 

Pupils in Ciecle : It is we. 

Florence then steps forward and places one hand 
on the head or shoulder of another pupil. 

Florence: Who is this? 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 61 

No. 1 : It is she ; the girl with brown hair and blue 
eyes. Use any simple description. 

Florence: Is it Mabel? 

No. 2: No, it isn't she. 

Florence: Is it Frances? 

No. 3: No, it isn't she. 

Florence: Is it Isabel? 

Isabel : It is I. 

If Florence fails on the third gness she is out of 
the game and must take her seat. Then another 
person is blindfolded- and the game proceeds as 
before. 

The game may be varied in many ways, and will 
»e most interesting if pupils plan the changes. 

STUDY 50 

Letter-Writing' 

Suppose you have just received a present, some- 
thing you had long wished for. It is very fine and 
you are getting a great deal of pleasure from it. 

Write a letter to the giver telling of your joy when 
you received it, and of the pleasure you are hav- 
ing. If some one shares your pleasure with you 
so much the better. 

It may be well to make notes of the topics you 
intend to write about, a topic for each paragraph. 
Write the letter rapidly, then copy it to make it 
correct in use of capitals, spelling, and punctuation. 



62 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 




STUDY 51 

A Story from a Picture 

AN UNFRIENDLY WORLD 

This little boy thought the house where he lived 
was a dull little place. He wished to see the world, 
so he went out into the garden at the back of the 
house, then through the back gate into a big field. 
Just when he began to enjoy his freedom some big 
birds came toward him, hissed, made faces at him, 
and seemed to want to get his cookie. 

Tell this part of the story in your own way, then finish 
it, telling what trouble the little boy really had, how some 
person or animal came to drive the geese away, and to take 
him home. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 63 

STUDY 52 

Literature and Composition 

THE SPIDER AXD THE FLY 

"Will you walk into my parlor?'-' 

Said the spider to a fly; 
" 'Tis the prettiest little parlor 

That ever you did spy. 

The way into my parlor 

Is up a winding stair, 
And I have many pretty things 

To show when you are there." 

"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, 
"To ask me is in vain; 
For who goes up your winding stair 
Can ne'er come down again." 

"I'm sure you must be weary 
With soaring up so high; 
Will you rest upon my little bed?" 
Said the spider to the fly. 

"There are pretty curtains drawn around. 
The sheets are fine and thin; 
And if you like to rest a while, 
I'll snugly tuck you in." 



64 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, 
"For I've often heard it said, 
They never, never wake again, 
Who sleep upon your bed." 

Said the cunning spider to the fly, 

"Dear friend, what shall I do 
To prove the warm affection 
t I've always felt for you? 

I have, within my pantry, 
Good store of all that's nice; 

I'm sure you're very welcome- 
Will you please to take a slice 



?> 



"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, 
" Kind sir, that cannot be; 
I've heard what's in your pantry, 
And I do not wish to see." 

"Sweet creature," said the spider, 
"You're witty and you're wise; 
How handsome are your gauzy wings I 
How brilliant are your eyes ! 

I have a little looking-glass 

Upon my parlor shelf ; 
If you'll step in one moment, dear, 

You shall behold yourself." 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 65 

' ' I thank you, gentle sir, ' ' she said, 
"For what you're pleased to say, 
And bidding you good-morning now, 
I'll call another day." 

— Mary Howitt. 

1. How many invitations are given in the poem? 

2. To what different rooms in the spider's house is 
the fly invited? 

3. Notice that in the first invitation the spider tries 
to appeal to the fly's curiosity, just as a person says to 
a friend, "Come in, I've something new to show you." 

Prepare to tell how the spider tries to coax the fly in 
each of the other invitations. 

4. "What did the spider really want? 

5. Notice the fly's replies to see whether they were 
polite. Tell what you think of them. 

Memorize the stanza you like best. 

STUDY 53 

Literature and Composition 

HOW TO TAKE A JOKE 

One day a fox invited a stork to dinner. The 
fox thought he would have some fun. So he had 
soup and served it in a plate. 

The fox lapped the soup with his tongue, but 
the stork could not wet her bill. 

"I am sorry, Madame Stork, that you do not 
like the soup," said the fox. 



66 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

The stork laughed and said, "Do not be sorry. 
You must come to dinner with me some time." 

Soon the stork invited the fox to dinner. She 
had meat in a long-necked jar. The stork could get 
the meat with her long bill, but the fox could not 
get his nose into the jar. 

The stork ate the meat and said, "I am sorry, 
Sir Fox, that you do not like the meat." 

"You can have fun, too," said the fox. 

— Aesop. 

1. "What do you think of the jokes these animals played 
on each other? "What do you like about the story? 

Tell a story of a joke you have known one person to play 
on another and how the other person "got even." Remem- 
ber that a good joke does not hurt anybody's feelings. 

STUDY 54 

The Right Use of Words 

MAY AND CAN 

We usually use may to express permission and can 
to express ability to do something. You may get the 
pony, if you can catch him. May I go to the circus ? 
Do you think I can drive the colt? 

Fill each blank below with the right word, may or can. 

1. Mother, I have a birthday party? 

2. You if you get some flowers. 

3. — — we get some chestnuts, if we ? 

4. Uncle, Jack stay for dinner? 

Write six sentences showing the correct use of may. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 67 

STUDY 55 

A Humorous Story 

Jimmie 's home was near a river, in the outskirts 
of the city. One summer evening, when Jimmie was 
nearly five years old, his parents sat on the front 
porch reading, while the little boy played with a big 
picture scrap-book. Suddenly the strong odor of a 
skunk was carried to them on the evening breeze. 

Jimmie sniffed two or three times, made a face, 
and said, "Father, what is that awful smell?" 

"That is a skunk," was the reply. 

"What's a skunk?" 

By referring to the boy's pet rabbit, the father 
explained as well as he could what a skunk is like. 

Jimmie was silent for a moment, and then he said, 
"But, Father, how does a skunk live with itself?" 

Prepare to tell this story to another class or out of school. 

STUDY 56 

Memory Selection 

I met a little elf -man once 

Down where the lilies blow. 
I asked him why he was so small 

And why he didn't grow. 
He slightly frowned, and with his eye 

He looked me through and through ; 
"I'm quite as big for me," he said, 

"As you are big for you." 

— John Kendrick Bangs. 



68 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
STUDY 57 

An Original Story 

THE YOUNG LIFESAVERS 




Suggestions for Paragraph 2. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 69 

1. It was after a very heavy rain. The water in the 
stream was high. Who are the children? Name the 
dolls. Where were they going? Why did they stop to 
look into the water? What happened? 

2. How did the children feel as they watched the doll 
carried down stream? What happened that gave them 
hope? Who thought of the plan to try to save the doll? 
Who was willing to do the more difficult part ? 

3. Was it very difficult to reach the doll? Did a slip- 
per come off? How long did they try? Did they finally 
succeed ? 

STUDY 58 

Memory Selection 

There was an old man who said, "How 
Shall I flee from this horrible cow? 

I shall sit on this stile 

And continue to smile, 
Which may soften the heart of the cow." 

— Edwakd Leak. 



STUDY 59 

Words Often Mispronounced 

The important thing is that the pupils hear and 
say the right pronunciation several times. For 
directions see Study 48. 

film grandfather handkerchief Indian 

finger grandmother library Italian 



70 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 




STUDY 60 

Oral and Written Composition 

A FARMYARD 

1. The most interesting place on many farms is the 
farmyard. When visitors come to the farm, whether they 
are shown anything else or not, they are taken to see the 
horses, the pigs, the poultry, and perhaps the cattle. Try 
to find reasons why this is so. 

. 2. First make the picture the subject of a free-for-all 
conversation. Let the children ask the questions and 
answer them. What country is represented in the picture ? 
What season? 

3. How many different kinds of animals do you see? 
How many horses, ponies, pigs, ducks, chickens, geese ? 

4. Tell about some of the food provided for the animals. 
Why are not all of the animals feeding? 

Write a story of a visit, real or fancied, to a farmyard. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE ?1 

STUDY 61 

Letter-Writing 

Suppose you have just finished reading a very 
interesting story-book. Possibly your grandfather 
gave it to you. Write him a letter telling briefly 
the story as you remember it. 

STUDY 62 

The Right Use of Words 

HE AND I. SHE AND I. YOU AND I 

1. He and I will run a race. 

2. She and / live on the same street. 

3. You and / may go home early. 

In such sentences as these many persons use him 
in place of he, her in place of she, and me in place of 
/. If you try to use one of these words alone in 
the sentence you will see how like "baby talk" it 
sounds. 

Each pupil prepare six sentences like these and 
read them aloud in class. 

Suggestions for a Game 

A pupil stands and thinks of some other pupil. 
He says, "I am thinking of a boy in the class, he and 
I go the same way home." Some one guesses of 
whom he is thinking, if correct he says, "It is he"; 
if incorrect he says, "It is not he. He and / are 



72 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

about the same size, or he and I have eyes the same 
color," and so on. 

If the pupils enter freely into it, such a game may 
be made interesting and even funny. 

STUDY 63 

Literature and Composition ■ 

A FLYING KITE 

I often sit and wish that I 
Could be a kite up in the sky, 
And ride upon the breeze, and go 
Whatever way it chanced to blow. 
Then I could look beyond the town, 
And see the river winding down, 
And follow all the ships that sail 
Like me before the merry gale, 
Until at last with them I came 
To some place with a foreign name. 

— F. D. Shekman. 

1. Why do young children often "run away," wander 
from home ? 

2. A poet lets his mind play freely; whether a thing 
is possible or impossible makes no difference to his fancy. 
What is impossible in the poem? 

3. What machines now make possible what Mr. Sher- 
man imagined as possible if a boy were a kite? 

Memorize the poem. 



WOKK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



73 



Suppose you had a flying machine in which you felt 
quite safe, tell where you would go and what you would 
try to see. 









STUDY 64 

An Original Story 




SELFISHNESS 



Choose names for the goats. They probably lived 
on opposite sides of the stream. Were they satis- 
fied with their pasture? What did each decide to 
do? Where have they met? Using the names, 

t write the argument they had, and conclude your 
story by telling what finally happened. 
Eemember to write freely and rapidly at first. 
Then copy your story to correct mistakes. 



74 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 65 

Literature and Composition 

THE YOUNG ROBIN ? S FIRST BATH 

One morning a robin was taking her usual bath 
in the dish I had provided. She tried in vain to 
coax her young one to venture into the water. The 
young bird would perch on the edge of the dish, and 
now and then be spattered with drops of water as 
the mother splashed about. But he could not be 
tempted to step into the water. 

At last the mother flew away and left him stand- 
ing there, but in a moment came back with a 
worm in her mouth. The young robin was hun- 
gry, as young birds always are, and when he 
saw the worm, he began to flutter his wings and to 
cry for it. 

Then the mother jumped into the middle of the 
water-dish, and stood there, holding the worm in 
sight. The youngster wanted the worm, and at 
once hopped in beside her. She fed him, and then 
began to splash about. The young bird soon found 
that a little water would not hurt him, and after 
this he took his bath daily. 

— ■Adapted from Olive Thorne Miller. 

This lesson should be used in the spring; or early 
summer, when the children can best observe some of the 
birds in the neighborhood. They are always interesting to 
those who are fond of them. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 75 

1. Explain usual bath, venture, tempted, flutter. 

2. Why is the story divided into parts ? What does the 
first part tell ? The second part? The third part? 

Tell something interesting you have known birds to do. 

STUDY 66 

Memory Selection 

THE WIND 

I saw you toss the kites on high 
And blow the birds about the sky ; 
And all around I heard you pass, 
Like ladies' skirts across the grass — 

wind, a-blowing all day long! 

wind, that sings so loud a song! 

I saw the different things you did, 
But always you yourself you hid. 
I felt you push, I heard you call, 
I could not see yourself at all — 

wind, a-blowing all day long! 

wind, that sings so loud a song! 

you that are so strong and cold, 
blower, are you young or old? 
Are you a beast of field and tree, 
Or just another child like me ? 

O wind, a-blowing all day long! 

wind, that sings so loud a song! 

— Robert Louis Stevenson, 

Time yourself ivhile you learn this poem. 



76 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 




CARTER 



THE COTTON TAILS AT HOME. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 77 

STUDY 67 

Oral and Written Composition 

THE COTTONTAILS AT HOME 

1. Here is Mrs. Molly Cottontail and her family. 
They are wild rabbits. Do you know why they are 
called cottontails? Can you tell where Mollie has 
made her home? If the picture took in much more 
of the surroundings, what would we see at the left? 
At the right? Think of reasons why Molly should 
have selected this place for her home, and tell them. 

2. Now study the rabbits; what is each one 
doing? Why are Molly's ears so alert and her 
eyes so bright? Which of the young ones seem 
on the lookout? What would the rabbits probably 
do if they saw a fox, a dog, or even a man? 

3. Learn all you can about wild rabbits to tell 
to your class. 

Imagine that you were given one of these little 
baby rabbits for a pet; tell a story about your pet 
You may use the following outline or make your own.. 

1. How you got the baby cottontail. 

2. Where you kept it. 

3. What you fed it. 

4. Some of the things it did that you enjoyed. 

Note.— The aim in lessons of this kind is to get the children to 
think and talk freely. Some of the pupils will know much more 
about other animals than they do about wild rabbits. They should 
be encouraged to choose their own subjects. 



78 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 68 
WONDERFUL FRUIT 

A French-Canadian guide came into camp one 
day greatly excited. He had a little basketful of 
wild cranberries which he showed with pride. "You 
know the li'l cranberry?" he asked the camping 
party. "Well, you take the li'l cranberry an ' you 
put him on the fire with plenty of de sug — oo, big lot 
of de sug — an' you let him cook long time. Then 
you take him off an' let him cool. An' there! You 
have a more better apple sauce than you can make 
out of de prune ! " 

This is a good example of dialect used by many French- 
Canadians. Try to say the words just as they are spelled. 
If you can shrug your shoulders, lift your eyebrows, and 
make little gestures with your hand, so much the better. 

If you like the story, you will know how to use it. 

STUDY 69 

Words Often Mispronounced 

Negro photograph picture ^ towards 

often piano potato violin 

STUDY 70 

The Right Use of Words 
Copy and repeat the following aloud at home : 
It was I. It was she. It was they. It wasn 't he. 
It was he. It was we. It wasn 't I. It wasn 't she. 

It wasn't they. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 79 

Suggestions for a Game 

One pupil is blindfolded and stands with his back 
to the class while another sings a stanza of a song, 
recites a memory selection, or whistles an air. 

The one blindfolded guesses, "It was ." If 

the guess is right the person named answers, "It was 
I"; but if wrong the class answers, "It was not he" 
or "It was not she." 

If the blindfolded one does not succeed in three 
guesses he takes his seat, and another takes his place. 

To bring in the use of they and we have two pupils 
sing or recite together. 

Another method of securing oral use of these 
forms is to ask members of the class to compose 
sentences using them ; as, Charles said it was I who 
did it; They knew all the time it was we; It wasn't 
she who made the mistake, etc. 

Let each pupil try to find some interesting way of 
changing the method of playing the game. 

STUDY 71 

Literature and Composition 

MAY 

Why are bees and butterflies 

Dancing in the sun? 
Violets and buttercups 

Blooming every one? 



80 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Why does Mr. Bobolink 

Seem so shocking gay? 
Why does — ah! I'd half forgot! 

This is really May. 

Why are all the water brigs 

Donning roller-skates ? 
And the solemn ladybugs 

Dozing on the gates? 

Why do all the meadow brooks 

Try to run away, 
As though some one were chasing them? 

Bless me! this is May. 

— R. M. Allen, 



1. These verses may or may not apply to May where 
you live. "What ideas and pictures in the poem do you 
enjoy? 

2. How do bees and butterflies dance? Of which are 
the movements more like dancing? 

3. If you have never seen water bugs gliding about 
on the water, watch for them. 

4. Where }^ou live when might the meadow brooks 
more properly be said to be running away? 

There are some pretty interesting things that belong to 
May where you live; make a list of them and tell about 
them in as pleasing a ivay as you can. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 81 

STUDY 72 

A Story to Tell 

JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD 

Old Mother West Wind had stopped to talk with 
the Slender Fir Tree. 

"I've just come across the Green Meadows," said 
Old Mother West Wind, ' ' and there I saw the Best 
Thing in the World. " 

Striped Chipmunk was sitting under the Slender 
Fir Tree and he couldn't help hearing what Old 
Mother West Wind said. "The Best Thing in the 
World — now what can that be?" thought Striped 
Chipmunk. "Why, it must be heaps of nuts and 
acorns ! I '11 go and find it. ' ' 

So Striped Chipmunk started down the Lone Little 
Path through the wood as fast as he could run. 
Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Striped 
Chipmunk?" asked Peter Babbit. 

"Down to the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World," replied Striped Chipmunk, 
and he ran faster. 

"The Best Thing in the World?" said Peter 
Eabbit, "why, that must be a great pile of carrots 
and cabbage! I think I'll go and find it." 



Copyright, 1914, by Little, Brown and Co. 



82 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

So Peter Rabbit started down the Lone Little 
Path through the wood as fast as he could go after 
Striped Chipmunk. 

As they passed the great hollow tree Bobby Coon 
put his head out. "Where are you going in such a 
hurry?" asked Bobby Coon. 

"Down to the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World!" shouted Striped Chipmunk 
and Peter Rabbit, and both began to run faster. 

"The Best Thing in the World?" said Bobby 
Coon to himself, "why, that must be a whole field of 
sweet milky corn. I think I'll go and find it." 

So Bobby Coon climbed clown from the great 
hollow tree and started down the Lone Little Path 
through the wood as fast as he could go after Striped 
Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit, for there is nothing 
that Bobby Coon likes to eat so well as sweet milky 
corn. 

At the edge of the wood they met Jimmy Skunk. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked 
Jimmy Skunk. 

"Down to the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World!" shouted Striped Chipmunk 
and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon. Then they all 
tried to run faster. 

"The Best Thing in the World?" said Jimmy 
Skunk. "Why, that must be packs and packs of 
beetles!" And for once in his life Jimmy Skunk 
began to hurry down the Lone Little Path after 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 83 

Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon. 

They were all running so fast that they didn't 
see Reddy Fox until he jumped out of the long grass 
and asked: 

"Where, are you going in such a hurry?" 

"To find the Best Thing in the World!" shouted 
Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon and Jimmy Skunk, and each did his best to run 
faster. 

"The Best Thing in the World?" said Reddy Fox 
to himself. "Why, that must be a whole pen full of 
tender young chickens, and I must have them." 

So away went Reddy Fox as fast as he could run 
down the Lone Little Path after Striped Chipmunk, 
Peter Rabbit, Bobby Coon, and Jimmy Skunk. 

By and by they all came to the house of Johnny 
Chuck. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked 
Johnny Chuck. 

"To find the Best Thing in the World," shouted 
Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon and Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox. 

"The Best Thing in the World?" said Johnny 
Chuck. "Why, I don't know of anything better than 
my own little home and the warm sunshine and the 
beautiful blue sky." 

So Johnny Chuck stayed at home and played all 
day among the flowers with the Merry Little Breezes 



84 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

of Old Mother West Wind and was as happy as 
could be. 

But all day long Striped Chipmunk and Peter 
.Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and 
Eeddy Fox ran this way and ran that way over the 
Green Meadows trying to find the Best Thing in the 
World. The sun was very, very warm and they ran 
so far and they ran so fast that they were very, verj 
hot and tired, and still they hadn't found the Best 
Thing in the World. 

When the long day was over they started up the 
Lone Little Path past Johnny Chuck's house to their 
own homes. They didn't hurry now for they were 
so very, very tired. And they were cross — oh, so 
cross ! Striped Chipmunk hadn't found a single nut. 
Peter Rabbit hadn't found so much as the leaf of a 
cabbage. Bobby Coon hadn't found the tiniest bit 
of sweet milky corn. Jimmie Skunk hadn't seen a 
single beetle. Reddy Fox hadn't heard so much as 
the peep of a chicken. And all were as hungry as 
hungry could be. 

Half way up the Lone Little Path they met Old 
Mother West Wind going to her home behind the hill. 
" Did you find the Best Thing in the World?" asked 
Old Mother West Wind. 

"No!" shouted Striped Chipmunk and Peter 
Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and 
Reddy Fox all together. 

"Johnny Chuck has it," said Old Mother West 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 85 

Wind. "It is being happy with the things you have 
and not wanting things which someone else has. And 
it is called Con-tent-ment. ' ' 

— Thornton Burgess. 

1. Why did the chipmunk think of nuts and acorns, 
and the rabbit of carrots and cabbage as the "best thing in 
the world?" 

2. Of what did the coon, the skunk, and the fox each 
think? 

3. Now think of some other animals and tell what each 
would probably have thought of as the "best thing in the 
world. ' ' 

4. What animal is meant by John Chuck ? Why did the 
writer of this story choose him to represent Contentment ? 

5. How could Old Mother West Wind know of the "best 
thing in the world % ' ' 

6. Notice how the writer of this story has used capital 
letters. He thinks of the west wind, the fir tree, the green 
meadows, the best thing in the world as though each was 
a person having a special name. Look over the story to 
see whether he has done the same all the way through. 

It is well to notice this but do not try to imitate it. 

This is a good story to dramatize. Old Mother West 
Wind should be a girl, but any other part may be taken 
by a girl or boy. Let them talk freely, not keeping to 
the words of the book. 

This is also a fine story to tell to other children. Read it 
over and over again until you can tell it just as it is here, 
step by step, ivithout omitting any part. 



86 



STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
STUDY 73 



Letter-Writing 

You have promised to Avrite to a friend or rela- 
tive; use this lesson period to fulfill your promise. 

Tell of the things in which you think he or she 
will be most interested. Write just as though the 
person were near you and you were talking. 

STUDY 74 

Literature and Composition 

THE DOG IN THE MANGES 

A surly dog found his 
way into a cow stable 
and prepared to make 
his bed in the manger, 
which had been filled 
with hay for the cow. 

When the cow came in 
the dog began to snarl 
and growl at her. ' ' Ex- 
cuse me," said Bossy, 
' \ that hay was put there 
for me. ' ' 

"Well, who cares if it 

was," growled Bruno, 

''I was here first and imean to stay here." 

1 ' But you cannot eat the hay, ' ' said Bossy, gently. ' Why 

do you wish to keep me from getting w T hat is given to me 

and cannot possibly do you any good?" 




WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



87 



Bruno's only answer was a snarl and a snap at Bossy's 
nose as she reached for a mouthful of hay. 

Let each pupil write a similar story about two other 
animals or about two children. 







U : :'r'y : '¥^M' r ''W!nr 







STUDY 75 

An Original Story 

THE TALKATIVE TOKTOISE 

The picture represents an old Hindoo fable. Do 
not try to find the story, but make up your own. 
Perhaps your teacher knows the story and will tell 
it to you after you have written yours. These little 
hints may help you. 

The tortoise wished to go to another country for 
the winter. The geese agreed to take him upon a 
certain condition. The tortoise promised. Give the 
conversation. Explain how they carried him; how 
he broke his promise, and what happened. 



88 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 76 

Literature and Composition 

BIRDS IN SUMMER 

How pleasant the life of a bird must be, 
Flitting about in each leafy tree ; 
In the leafy trees so broad and tall, 
Like a green and beautiful palace hall, 
With its airy chambers, light and boon, 
That open to sun, and stars, and moon; 
That open unto the bright blue sky, 
And the frolicsome winds as they wander by! 

•& -V- *V- -V? -i£- -Sfc -i£- 4t» 

•vy*-/v* *??• *7v* "TV- vf* *7T -7r 

How pleasant the life of a bird must be, 
Wherever it listeth, there to flee; 
To go, when a joyful fancy calls, 
Dashing down 'mong the waterfalls; 
Then wheeling about, with its mate at play, 
Above and below, and among the spray, 
Hither and thither, with screams as wild 
As the laughing mirth of a rosy child! 

— Samuel Rogers. 

1. What is the main idea of these stanzas? 

2. The whole poem contains five other stanzas. 

Prepare to tell or write of as many other ways as you 
can in which the life of birds in summer is pleasant. 
Possibly a few in the class will ivish to tell of some of the 
hardships birds have to endure in summer as well as 
winter. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 89 

STUDY 77 

Humorous Story 

STUDYING A PICTURE 

Two women were looking at a picture in the 
Royal Academy, entitled, "His Only Pair. " The 
artist has represented a poor boy sitting up in bed 
while his hard-working mother mends his only pair 
of trousers. The boy, although obliged to stay in 
bed while the repairs are under way, is contentedly 
eating an orange. 

One of the visitors looked at the picture with 
searching gaze, and then remarked to her com- 
panion: " 'His Only Pair!' I don't call that a 
pear at all! It's an orange that he is eating." 

1. Tell why you think the woman made such a mistake. 
Did the artist intend the picture to be humorous? Give 
your reason for your answer. 

2. Notice the use of capital letters in this story. Try 
to give a reason for each capital. 

Learn the story well, so that you can tell it out of school. 

A KIDDLE 

When walking through a field of wheat 
I picked up something good to eat, 
'Twas neither fish, flesh, fowl, nor bone; 
I kept it till it ran alone. 



90 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 78 

The Right Use of Words 

The words good and well are often misused even 
by very well-educated persons, not because they do 
not know the right and wrong use of these words 
but because they have formed wrong habits and 
cannot change. It is vastly easier to get the right 
habit when young than later. 

Good is usually used to describe a person or thing ; 
as, a good book, good health, good reading, etc. 

Well generally tells how something is done; as, 
Elsie swims well; My kite flies well; This pen writes 
ivell, etc. In a few cases well is used to describe a 
person or thing; as, I am ivell; Mother is well, etc. 
We should never use good in place of well in such 
sentences as, I feel well; Jane looks well; Tom does 
not feel very ivell this morning. 

Read the following sentences aloud, inserting 
good or ivell, as the meaning requires, in the blank 
places. 

1. Delia is a singer and she plays s 

2. We had a breakfast and feel -. 

3. This water is ; I like it . 

4. Sam, what can you do ? I am a 

speller and I can write . 

5. My pony felt this morning. 

Pupils stand and each one sits after giving a good 
example of the use of these two words. 



WOEK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 



91 




STUDY 79 



An Original Story 

Make a story from this picture, using the following 
suggestions : 

1. Who is the little boy? Where does he live? Are 
his parents wealthy? Why do you think so? 

2. Where did the boy get the pony? What kind is 
it? Are the dogs his pets too, or do some of them belong 
to his father ? What different breeds do you recognize 
among the dogs ? Which do you like best and why ? 

3. Where is the boy going? Whom do you think the 
man to be coming over the hill? Why does he follow the 
boy? Did the boy enjoy his ride? 

If some pupils do not find a good story in this picture, 
let them bring their own pictures, or the teacher may 
supply one. 



92 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

STUDY 80 

Literature and Composition 

A STORY OF THE DANDELIONS* 

Long, long ago, when the world was young, the 
fairies were busy giving the flowers their names, and 
arranging places for them to grow, so that they 
would be given evenly to all parts of the world. 

Of course, most of the flowers wanted open, sunny, 
warm places to live, and the fairies wished to please 
everybody, so they let them have their way. The 
lilies-of-the-valley, pansies, violets, and columbines 
were willing to take shady places, and the whole fern 
family spoke for damp, dark spots, and there were, 
water lilies and cat-tails for the ponds. 

"But," cried one fairy suddenly, "everybody has 
forgotten about the dusty, dirty places ! Plenty of 
flowers want to grow in the pleasant fields. But 
nobody has chosen city back yards, and vacant lots, 
and grubby, uncomfortable, dry places like those!" 

' ' Of course not — who would ? ' ' asked a proud white 
lily. 

"You'll have to invent a new flower for such 
places," laughed a big red rose, flaunting her lovely 
leaves from a carefully tended garden. 

"We can't do that," said the fairies. And they 
felt very sad indeed. For they knew that in the 



*With permission, from "Tales to be Told to Children," Mary 
Dickerson Donahey, The Howell Co., Chicago. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 93 

driest, dustiest, homeliest places are flowers needed 
most. 

But suddenly a very little fairy had a bright idea. 
" Let's turn ourselves into flowers," she cried, "and 
go and grow in the dusty places ourselves. And let's 
choose the cheeriest color there is — yellow, the color 
of sunshine! We'll grow up in the most deserted 
places the first thing in the spring, and bloom there 
all summer, and do the best we can to make things 
pretty and bright." 

"You are clear good fairies," said their queen, 
"and it is a very wonderful idea. Do it. You shall 
have your sunshine color. And I'll make your 
leaves good to eat, so you'll be useful as weir as 
pretty. And I'll give you queer, hollow stems, that 
children can roll you up into curls to play with. 
I'll arrange it so you shall be lovely always. I won't 
allow you to wither like, other flowers. 

"In reward for the work that you will do in the 
world, I'll arrange for you to grow old beautifully, 
and turn to fluffy balls of white, almost as pretty 
as your yellow flowers, and then you shall just blow 
away and vanish on the wind, as fairies should." 

And so the fairy queen arranged it. A whole 
company of fairies offered to go for flower duty, 
and spring and summer and autumn you can see 
them, smiling with cheery golden faces, or dotting 
the grass with fairy balls of fluffy white. 

And in Fairy Land, they say, the Fairies of the 



94 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Dandelion Corps are the merriest, happiest elves 
there are. 

1. Have yon ever noticed how some plants grow only in 
certain kinds of places? Make your own observations in 
the fields and woods near where you live and prepare to 
tell the class what you learn. 

2. Tell whether you find it true that the dandelion 
grows in uncared-for back yards, and in dry, dusty, dirty 
places. 

3. Explain in what ways you think the dandelion is a 
really beautiful flower. 

4. Plow do children play with the stems of the dandelion 
and with the fluffy balls of white? 

5. How are dandelion leaves used for food? "What other 
plants are used in the same way ? 

6. Notice the use of the comma where there are several 
words used in the same way: open, sunny, warm places; 
lilies- of ~the-v alley , pansies, violets, and columbines; driest, 
dustiest, homeliest places. Try to use the comma in this way 
in your own storiesand letters. 

Compose a story of how a poor, sick, lonely little girl was 
cheered by dandelions growing in the yard back of her 
dreary room. 

A RIDDLE 

Little Nanny Etticoat, 
With a white petticoat, 

And a red nose; 
The longer she stands, 

The shorter she grows. 



WORK AND PLAY WITH LANGUAGE 95 

STUDY 81 

Literature and Composition 

THE SONG OF THE BUSY BEE 

Buzz ! buzz ! buzz ! 

This is the song of the bee. 

His legs are of yellow; 

A jolly good fellow, 

And yet a great worker is he. 

In days that are sunny 
He's getting his honey; 
In days that are cloudy 
He's making his wax; 
On pinks and on lilies, 
And gay daffodillies, 
And columbine blossoms, 
He levies a tax. 

Buzz! buzz! buzz! 
The sweet smelling clover, 
He, humming, hangs over; 
The scent of the roses 
Makes fragrant his wings; 
He never gets lazy; 
From thistle and daisy, 
And weeds of the meadow, 
Some treasure he brings. 



96 STUDIES IN ENGLISH 

Buzz! buzz! buzz! 
From morning's first light 
Till the coming of night, 
He's singing and toiling 
The summer day through. 
Oh! we may get weary, 
And think work is dreary; 
'Tis harder by far 
To have nothing to do. 

— Maeion Douglas. 

1. Have you ever observed bees as they work among 
flowers? Name some of the flowers you think they prefer. 

2. "What do bees collect from the flowers? How do 
they carry the nectar? Why are the bees' legs yellow? 
Of what do they make wax and how do they use it ? 

3. How do bees and other insects repay the plants 
for what they take away? 

4. Bees fly long distances over fields and among trees. 
How do you suppose they find their way home ? What is 
meant by "a bee-line"? 

5. What parts of the poem do you like best? What 
part, if any, might be omitted? 

While studying the poem learn all you can about bees 
and their habits and let each pupil try to tell the class 
something interesting. 



